Auraiya Children Death Case: Allahabad High Court Acquits Priyanka, Ashish

The Allahabad High Court has acquitted Priyanka and Ashish alias Daini in the case involving the deaths of three children in Auraiya district.

A division bench of Justice Siddhartha Varma and Justice Jai Krishna Upadhyay held that the prosecution failed to establish their guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

The bench set aside the trial court’s verdict and ordered the release of both accused if authorities did not require them in any other case.

The case centred largely on the testimony of Sonu, Priyanka’s eight-year-old surviving son.

The High Court found contradictions in his account and observed that his evidence showed clear indications of tutoring.

The court stressed that a child’s age does not automatically prevent the person from giving evidence.

Judges must, however, examine such testimony with particular caution before relying on it for a conviction.

The case dates back to June 27, 2024, when authorities recovered the bodies of Madhav alias Gunga, 6, Aditya alias Tilla, 5, and Mangal, 4, from the Sengur River in Auraiya.

The prosecution alleged that Priyanka took her four sons to the river with Ashish and attempted to drown them. Sonu allegedly survived the incident.

An Auraiya trial court convicted the accused in 2025. It sentenced Priyanka to death for murder, while Ashish received life imprisonment. The prosecution case relied substantially on Sonu’s testimony.

The High Court identified several shortcomings in the investigation, including delays in recording Sonu’s statement and the prosecution’s failure to present the village pradhan as a witness.

The bench held that these shortcomings further weakened the prosecution case.

The court consequently granted both accused the benefit of doubt and acquitted them of all charges.

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